The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War Preview

When it comes to the world of gaming, new titles are coming out every day. Among these countless new games though, there are a few that carry legendary titles with fans all over the world.

This is definitely the case with The Lord of the Rings, a franchise that doesn’t really need any introductions. I believe I’m not the only one who thinks that no matter who you are, where you are from or what you are into, you’ve heard about The Lord of the Rings in one way or another. Might be the best-selling books by J.R.R Tolkien, the iconic movies or something else.

With NetEase Games’ latest release, The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, fans of the franchise will have the chance to experience a completely accurate 3D representation of Tolkien’s magnificent world on their mobile devices. From the lofty majesty of Minas Tirith to the brutish terror of Barad-Dûr, the game delivers stunning visuals and features iconic characters and locations from the original trilogy.

The strategy MMO enthusiasts will find the tactical gameplay of The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War appealing.

So it Begins

The One Ring has resurfaced in the deserted castle of Dol Guldur. It bestows unrivalled power on its bearer to dominate Middle-earth, luring people from all Factions into a great war. Gondor, Rohan, Lothlórien, Erebor, Mordor, Isengard, Angmar and Rhûn, all these iconic Factions have raised their banners.

Players must assemble the most overwhelming legion Middle-earth has ever seen, lead their troops into battle, occupy land and conquer with their faction. As Lords and Chiefs, for the Good and the Evil of Middle-earth, they must step into a vast 3D world and take control of it by developing their settlements, expanding their territory and found their own Fellowship while they command legendary Commanders. Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn, Legolas, all the fan favourites but also less popular characters are there.

You shall not pass… without reading about the gameplay

Once the players select their Faction, they must then build their ring and take control of their settlement.

In their search for the One Ring as well as other lesser rings, they need to build their army, starting by recruiting a Commander.

To successfully recruit a Commander, it is necessary to earn their trust first, by giving them items that they want. Once that is done, the next step is to give the Commander troops to lead and march to defend their territory from opposing Factions. Each troop has its own speed stat, the higher the speed the faster they march.

By occupying land players earn valuable resources that they can then use to improve their settlement and get more soldiers and Commanders as they try to expand their territory. This expansion is vital to how the game is played for resource tiles represent the only way to obtain resources for your Faction. Unlike most other strategy games, the spoils for conquering opposing cities will also seldom be as great as the cost, so you’ll need to be strategic in how you expand your territory and forge your Fellowships.

My Precious… Expectations

As with everything related to The Lord of the Rings, we can expect the game to have absolutely stunning 3D graphics and a highly immersive gameplay. Fans of the franchise and base builder enthusiasts alike can enjoy deep strategy gameplay sprinkled with key elements from the books and movies, such as locations and characters, all while unfolding a storyline in an accurate representation of Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War will be available to download as a free-to-play game with in-app purchases on the App Store, the Galaxy Store, and on Google Play.